Love Overpowers Fear; 1 John 4:18

As I made my way through the Sunday paper on Tuesday, I ran across an interview with Bethany Hamilton, who was 13 years old when she was attacked by a tiger shark while surfing and lost her left arm. But she returned to competitive surfing three months later. In 2005, she won her first national title in the 18-and-under division of the National Scholastic Surfing Association championships. Hamilton, now 21, lives in Kauai and surfs professionally.

Here's a (admittedly biased) snippet of the interview.

Q. What gave you the strength to continue surfing?

A. I believe in Jesus Christ and I believe he gave me the passion and determination to continue surfing. You fall off the horse and you get back on. I had to go for it.

Q. Who has been the greatest influence on your life?

A. There’s been a lot of people, but I would have to say my parents. They have encouraged me in my relationship with Jesus Christ and in my passion for surfing. Aside from them, I have a youth leader named Sarah Hill, who is played in the movie by Carrie Underwood. Sarah has been a friend since I was 8 or 9 years old. We all need that extra friend outside of our immediate family to talk about that extra stuff you wouldn’t normally talk to your parents about.

The movie, "Soul Surfer” which is based on Bethany's memoir, Soul Surfer: A True Story of Faith, Family, and Fighting to Get Back on the Board, opens nationwide this Friday, April 8th, 2011.



When I grow up I'm going to.....be passionate and determined.